Equivalent Exchange
by Mistress of Darkness
Summary: This is a oneshot alternate ending for FMA. It's really not that bad, so please check it out: In equivalent exchange, people gain something from their losses. So what did the Elric brothers gain after all of their losses? Maybe a second chance...


EQUIVALENT EXCHANGE:

An alternate ending to Fullmetal Alchemist

Written by Mistress of Darkness

September 25, 2006

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"Al..." Ed sighed and finished drawing the last transmutation circle on his left arm. "I won't let you dissappear." He took a deep breath. A life... didn't equal a life. But even so... He clapped his hands - his two human hands - together, starting the flow of alchemic energy. And then he brought them to his own chest. Yes... he would be the sacrifice in equivilent exchange. It was the only option left now.

The familiar blue glow lit the transutation circle he stood on, as well as the ones on his own skin. He closed his eyes. This was the end for him... but hopefully it would be the chance for a new beginning for Al. When he opened his eyes again, he was standing before the gates once more. He waited calmly for it to open. Surprisingly, when it did open it was not filled with the usual darkness and hundreds of eyes. It was filled with light and warmth, and from it stepped not Al, but...

"Mom?" Ed stared at her in shock, hot tears stinging his eyes. It was not the homunculus that had stolen his mothers shape, but his real mom, with her kind face and loving eyes.

"Edward." Suddenly he was growing younger, back in time. Standing before the gate, he had somehow become a ten-year-old, as he had been the last time he had seen her alive.

"Mom!" he rushed into her arms and clung tightly to her. "Mom... I missed you..."

She smiled. "I know. But you must go back now, Edward," she said softly.

"I... I can't..." Ed looked up at her familiar face. "It was equivalent exchange."

"Then consider this my equivalent exchange," she said, kissing his forehead. "For all of your losses and suffering, you deserve to gain a second chance... together."

"Mom?" he cried, feeling himself being pulled from her arms and away from the gate.

"Don't worry, Edward. I'll still be waiting for you... but you two must live. I love you..."

Ed opened his eyes. Blue light was still glowing all around him, and he could feel the weight of his physical body - his whole body. He turned his head slightly to see Al lying next to him, and tears of joy stung at his eyes. The human Al... his brother. He closed his eyes, feeling the complete and utter exhaustion pull his body into a deep, but peaceful sleep.

-----

It was there in the underground city that they found them. Rose had made it to the surface long enough to say "Edward" before she had fainted, leaving the two boys, Fletcher and Russel to with an uncontious Rose and her screaming baby until help arrived. It came in the form of Winry, Shezka, and Mustang's entire "crew," including a heavily bandaged Mustang and a very concerned-looking Hawkeye. After sending Rose away in an ambulance, the group descended the stairs into the underground city.

Gasps were heard all around at the sight of the great - and empty - city. But more than that was their fear for Ed and Al. They had no idea what to expect; were they dead? Or perhaps badly injured?

But at least they knew where to look for them in the massive city, if the blue light of a transmutation circle was any clue. The group hurried toward it, and eventually found themselves walking into a large pillared chamber. There in the center was the source of the light - so bright they could only make out the form of a body lying at its center.

"Ed!" Winry rushed foreward, ignoring all sense of caution, and running onto the circle before anyone could call out a warning. As she stepped onto it, however, it slowly began to fade and the light died away. She was speechless at what she saw, and dropped to her knees sobbing.

As the others approached cautiously, they realised that she was crying for joy, her arms draped over not one, but two boys. Mustang sighed in relief, and Leutenant Ross and Armstrong both felt their hearts leap with joy. Everyone else just stared in shock.

"Edward... and Alphonse?" asked Hawkeye in awe. Upon Ed's skin, the transmutation circle's were still glowing faintly, but his chest rose and fell in steady breaths, as did Al's.

"I don't believe it," said Mustang, dropping to his knees next to Edward. "He actually did it."

-----

As it turned out, there were four people unable to make the trip back up the stairs out of the underground city. Ed and Al of course, being uncontious. Havok and Falman each carried one of the boys. Major Armstrong piggy-backed one very injured Roy Mustang, and Schezka had to support Winry, who was still crying too hard to walk on her own. The two other brothers were also extatic, especially Fletcher, and they rushed ahead to call for another ambulance.

Seeing as how both boys Ed and Al were physically fine, Winry insisted that they be taken streight to Rizenbool. And so they left the chaos of the city and returned (with the help of Havok and Falman) to the peaceful Rizenbool, where nothing had really changed.

-----

Ed woke to the smell of bacon, and he opened his eyes to find himself in a room that he recognized. "Hey there, sleepy-head," said a very familiar voice gently from a chair next to the bed.

"Wi... Winry?" he asked, confused and still slightly disorientated.

"Who else?" she asked with a smile. She leaned down and kissed his cheek. "Welcome home, Ed." He felt a smile creep over his features, and just then the door burst open.

"Brother!" cried Al excitedly, and he dove onto Ed in a huge - and slightly painful - embrace. "You're awake!" Ed grinned, and Al beamed back at him. They didn't need to say anything about what had happened - they were whole again! They had their bodies back and they were at home with their family.

"So how is everyone?" he asked Winry once Al had settled down a bit.

She smiled reassuringly. "Everyone's fine," she said. "Mustang's in the hospital, but aside from his one eye he should make a full recovery.

"Oh..." Ed frowned, looking thoughtful.

"Come on, Ed," said Winry. "Grama's almost finished making breakfast." She and Al managed - between the two of them - to get Ed out of bed, dressed (sort of) and down the hall. He was still a bit shaky, but otherwise happy to be up.

In the kitchen he paused and Pinako locked eyes with him. There was a moment of silence, and Ed could have sworn he saw tears in the old woman's face. "You had us worried," said Pinako at last, smiling. She placed a steaming plate at Ed's spot at the table.

"How long was I asleep?" he asked suddenly, realizing that it must have been for a while. Winry just smiled.

"It's been almost two days," she said. "We got back to Rizenbool the night before last. Al woke up in the morning, but not you."

"Oh... I guess I was tired..." Ed said, rubbing his neck sheepishly.

"And I'm not surprised," said Pinako matter-of-factly. "The amount of alchemic energy you used put a lot of strain on your body. So eat up, if you want to get your strength back."

"What are you talking about," said Ed dismissively. "I'm perfectly fine..."

"Uh-huh..." Pinako just looked at him disbelievingly. Despite his argument about his strength, Ed dug into the food ravenously.

"This is delicious," he said through mouthfulls of bacon and hashbrowns.

"Enjoy it while you can," said Pinako dryly. Ed looked up suddenly, worried as to what she was insinuating with that comment. "Well, we're probably going to go bankrupt without you paying for your automail maintenance. We made a killing off of you, what with all the damage you kept on getting." She smiled teasingly. Ed just grinned.

"Don't worry. I'm sure we'll think of something." After two large helpings, Pinako wouldn't let him have anymore for fear of him giving himself a stomach ache. Then she kicked him outside to have a shower.

"Trust me," she said, handing him a towel from the steps of the deck, "you could use it." He just grinned and headed around to the back of the house, stripping down to his shorts and turning on the warm water. When he had finished, he changed into the clean clothes that Pinako had for him and Al, and then let Winry braid his hair for him.

"Because you know I do a better job than you anyway," was her reasoning. Honestly, he kind of liked her doing it.

"Come on!" Al cried as soon as they were done.

"Where are we going?" asked Ed as Winry pulled him to his feet. Pinako was waiting on the step with a large picnic basket.

"Just for a walk," replied Winry. As they made their way through the field toward the river, Al ran ahead with Den, laughing while the dog barked excitedly. Although Ed tried to resist the urge to run after them, a sudden playful shove by his brother had him running ahead with them. Pinako and Winry walked along behind them with smiles of contentment and amusement on their faces.

"It looks like they'll be able to just be children again," said Pinako thoughtfully.

"I hope so," agreed Winry.

Ed and Al toppled into the grass and rolled apart, both panting from their playful roughousing. Ed, laying on his back, stared up at the big blue sky and for a moment he lost himself in it. It was good to be home.

"Brother?" suddenly Al's face blocked out part of the light on his left, and then Winry's face appeared on his right. He grinned up at their smiling faces, took one of each of their offered hands, and allowed them to pull him to his feet.

Yeah... it was definately good to be home!

-END-

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Authors Note:

- Well that's it for my little one-shot alternate ending to FMA. I absolutely loved the show... maybe it's just the whole 'parallel world' thing I didn't care for. But anyways, tell me what you think. If enough people like this and want me to, then I might write a bit more. Probably not any "adventures" (come on people, cut them some slack) but I was thinking like a Christmas scene or reunion or something. Anyways, I'll stop myself before I ramble on forever. R&R please. I'd like to hear from people.

Mistress of Darkness

P.S.

For all you FMA movie lovers, I kind of excluded it altogether. Really, I preferred the series ending to the movie ending, because at least at the end of the series there was still some hope of Ed getting home. Now it's just Ed and Al wandering around in Germany in the middle of war... oh fun. Cuz that's so much better than being able to use alchemy, and being with their friends and family... (note the sarcasm here). Hehe, now that that's off my chest, I'll leave you alone.

P.P.S.

That's just my personal opinion, so don't hate me if you like the movie!


End file.
